Just ask nicely
by Blatant Discontent
Summary: Live only gives you one chance at happiness.... or does it? Read Harry's reaction to Ginny's wedding--when he's just in the audience.


Disclaimer: I own Hermione's unborn child. Bwahahahahaa!! Yeah, everything else belongs to a swotty little billionaire.

_Excerpt: Harry Potter's Journal_

**5/24/1998******

I'm so stupid.

They say in life you get one chance at happiness. Just one. And I, the foolish little child I was, decided it wasn't worthy of my notice. I decided _you_ weren't worthy of my notice.

I remember how you used to be completely star-struck by me. For four long years, you sighed after me, learned everything about me, and what did I do? I ignored you, even scoffed at you. You were just a silly little girl to me. If only I had known you, the real you, maybe I wouldn't be sitting all alone in my expensive, cold living room.

Slowly, over the years, I grew somewhat affectionate towards you. I saw the fiery passion for adventure within you, the fierce loyalty towards your friends, your cunning, strength, and determination. So I found excuses to talk to you. I watched, wreathing with jealousy, as you went out with undeserving boy after undeserving boy, secretly counting the reasons they were all jerks.

Then you went out with _him_ for a year. That was a terrible thing to do—I really liked him before that. I could never respect him, but he was always a nice guy. And it was because of _him_ that I lost you.

So here I sit, the night before your wedding, writing proclamations of love that you will never read. Pathetic, I know. But I challenge any man who had you within his grasp and, through his stupidity, let you go to be able to hold his head up as high afterwards as I have done.

It's late. I have a wedding to attend tomorrow. I told Ron I might not be able to come, but the look on his face when I did was so desperate that I guess I have to show up. After all, I do wish you every happiness, even if it cannot be with me.

Harry Potter……….11:23 pm

THE NEXT DAY

The room was quite full, he noticed, walking in and seating himself near the back. Red curtains adorned the cream-colored walls while floating red and white roses slowly dropped petals into the aisle between rows and rows of comfortably-cushioned seats. A very old lady with a rather large nose sitting next to him sniffled cheerfully into her heavily-embroidered handkerchief.

He heard someone trampling noisily down the aisle and glanced in that direction, hoping things hadn't started yet. A blur of red stopped abruptly at his row.

"Harry, mate, glad you could make it," said Ron excitedly.

"I couldn't exactly miss Ginny's wedding, now could I?" said Harry, trying to smile.

"Well what are you doing back here? Family up front, come on," replied Ron, dragging Harry towards the front of the hall, ignoring the feeble protests from the latter. "See you afterwards; I've got to go comfort the groom." With a wink, Ron trampled back up the aisle, leaving Harry next to a congregation of Mrs. Weasleys.

"Well, hello, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry, grinning mischievously at a very pregnant Hermione.

"Oh, shut up and sit down," said Hermione in false irritation. "What's been going on with you lately? You haven't been around much."

"I was busy. You know, the usual—trying to maim people before they kill me."

Hermione laughed. "I was beginning to think you were scared of pregnant women."

"Terrified," he replied sarcastically. "Voldemort I can handle, but women with babies in their bellies—"Harry shuddered dramatically.

"Well, I guess there's—" began Hermione, breaking off as the grand piano in the front of the hall started playing Pachelbel's Canon in D. The hall quieted dramatically as the large, elaborately carved doors swung open soundlessly.

A large progression of red-haired Weasleys passed through in pairs. They wore yellow dress robes with red trimmings on the sleeves and collars. Finally, all Weasleys had been seated and a little girl came through the aisle, lighting Fillibuster Fireworks down the aisle. Harry thought this was a rather neat substitution for flower petals.

Then came the bride. Harry took a deep breath. She was absolutely stunning. Her wavy, vibrantly red hair hanging down in tresses was almost camouflaged in the deep red dress-robes with gold embroidery that marked her as the bride. Her brown eyes sparkled brightly as she hung on to the arm of her father, both grinning widely. Harry found himself smiling softly at them.

They walked slowly down the aisle towards the front of the room where, Harry noticed with a slight lurch of his stomach, stood Neville Longbottom, waiting. He looked decidedly handsome in his deep blue dress-robes as he winked cheerfully towards the aisle. Harry looked back to see Ginny gazing lovingly at Neville as she reached the front of the room.

A lump rose in Harry's throat as he fought the tears that were about to spill from his eyes. _He _could have been the handsome wizard in those blue dress-robes. Perfection had somehow found her way down to earth in the form of this fiery red-haired goddess and given him a chance, waiting for six years. And what did he do? He let her go.

As Ginny moved from Mr. Weasley's side to Neville's, the tears fell, dripping hot streaks across his cheeks and into his hands as he held his face in an attempt to keep from sobbing.

"Whoa! I didn't think the Boy-Who-Lived would be the type to cry at weddings," joked Hermione. "Harry? Are—are you okay?" she asked tentatively. Face still in his hands, he shook his head silently.

"Do you, Ginny Weasley, take Neville Longbottom, for good and for bad, jinxed or in health, for as long as you can stand each other?"

"With all my heart I do."

Many people were now glancing warily at Harry who, unknowing of the attention he drew, stood up and fled from the hall, tears still pouring from his eyes. He ran through the large double-doors, through the opening in the backroom where he sat against the outside walls, in the rows of flowery rose-bushes, sobbing loudly. He heard a rustle against the side of the door, and glanced up slightly to see rich red dress-robes approaching him slowly.

"Hey Harry," Ginny said softly, walking towards him, her dress-robes snagging at the thorns of the rose-bushes. "What's up?"

Harry turned slightly, not wanting her to see his face. "Nothing, I'm fine. I don't want to ruin your wedding Gin, I'll be fine."

"Don't worry about me," said Ginny sourly, adding under her breath, "There's not much more that could go wrong."

Harry didn't hear her. "No, honestly, I just need some time. I'm the sort of bloke who cries at weddings," he said, laughing bitterly through his tears.

Ginny slid down next to him. He looked up at her for the first time since she walked down the aisle with her father, noticing that wet streaks stained her face as well.

"Gin, what's up with you? Where's Neville?" Harry asked, startled.

"I asked first," said Ginny crossing her arms

"I—I can't Ginny."

"Can't what?"

"I can't watch you marry that man. Do you expect me to be able to sit smilingly in a crowd of strangers while some guy takes away the only…" Harry stopped, realizing who he was ranting to as more tears dripped slowly off his eye-lashes.

"The only what?"

Harry shook his head, unable to continue.

Ginny sighed. "Okay, then I guess it's my turn. I suppose you're wondering why I'm sitting in my torn-up wedding dress in a muddy garden without the groom?"

Harry nodded mutely, not really caring, but not wanting to say so to her.

"Well, when it came to the part about objections, guess what happened?"

"What?" asked Harry, raising his head slightly. Did this mean—?

"Someone objected. The wedding is off." Ginny glanced warily in his direction, absently shredding the leaves of a nearby rose.

The words played over and over in Harry's head. _The wedding is off. The wedding is off. The wedding is off. Ginny is free. The wedding is off._

"Erm, I'm sorry Ginny," said Harry as his face cleared slightly. He fought not to smile.

_Excerpt: Harry Potter's Journal_

**5/25/1998******

Maybe life _does_ give you more than one chance. You just have to know how to ask nicely.


End file.
